Golden Tiger
Overview Birth Name: Douglas Song Other Alias(es): Crimson Hand Age: 30 Gender: Male Notable Affiliations: None Appearance Golden Tiger is a hero identified by his simple costume which amounts to a set of black cargo pants, belt and buckle, work boots, dark sunglasses, and a distinctive white hooded sweatshirt which is marked by gold tiger's stripes across its back. It has few notable accessories or garnishes, at most including a sash across the abdomen that carries a concealed set of throwing knives and other blades, with most of its functionality being in plain sight and minimalist. Perhaps most noteworthy, he is known to adapt or assume other, even more subtle outfits as a means to remain anonymous, most often wearing jackets or coats over his regular attire. What can be otherwise observed about the Golden Tiger is that he is a male in his late twenties or early thirties, of Asian (likely Chinese) descent, and is quite able bodied in physique and ability despite being of seemingly average height and weight. Equipment There are few tools or items the Golden Tiger makes use of, as his primary weapons are those of his own body through the use of qi. However, his martial arts and experience as a seasoned fighter have enlightened him to the use of weapons of old, predominantly melee weapons. While swords and other blades are his preferred lethal weapons, it is understandable that he makes limited use of them because of the attention they draw and that he generally avoids killing opposition if possible. Personality The Golden Tiger is a largely reserved persona, one who speaks little but tends to be simultaneously profound and to the point, though with a developing sense of wit and new found maturity. It is understood his confidence is less a situation of arrogance or superiority and more that few non-powers can actually challenge his ability; the average person he faces off against hasn't the fantasy of a chance, but he is willing to let them try. This in part explain's the Golden Tiger's unwillingness to inflict mortal injury if it can be avoided, unafraid to go on the offense or defense, he simply as a moral aversion to causing death if he can help it. Injury however, is another matter in itself. Combined with his talents in hand to hand combat, this further expresses his disinterest in firearms and preference for his own body as a weapon and rarely archaic weapons, such as the dao or jian, ''and conventional modern weapons as the baton, bayonet, or throwing knife. One unique quirk of his personality as a martial artist is that the Golden Tiger often uses the environment and improvised weapons to meet his ends, just as likely to flip a chair mid air and kick it into an opponent as he were to ignore it. ''Traits While not averse to law and order, or one to abide by it, the Golden Tiger has internalized and embraced elements of martial morality, such as those attributed to traditional Shaolin monks who he had presumably studied under in some regard or some point. While still a mere student of these philosophies, he exemplifies some of their better aspects, such as humility or respect, courage or perseverance, but struggles with maturing sufficiently to adopt patience and morality. As such he acts with a sense of honor and personal code, even if his opposition displays none, yet suffers from lapses of inexperience and echoes of a fitful youth. Ritualistic to some degree, the Golden Tiger exhibits cycles of behavior and habit, perhaps most well defined by his few pleasures in the world such as tea or that he lives and repeats the same day as he did before. It is this repetition that enables him to act with serenity not readily found in the modern world. Powers Unlike many other superhumans, the Golden Tiger's powers are not immediately obvious. To an untrained eye, the regular application of his prowess appears nothing more than strong understanding of kung fu. However, his control of body extends beyond mere physical means, being born of qi, ''or the "energy" of all things, namely those living. ''Qi ''is considered energy and material manipulation, driven by life-force in conjunction with the mind. As such it is both a physical and psychic incarnation of superpower. ''Advanced Martial Arts The "advanced martial arts" are extensions of the conventional Chinese martial arts, inferring by name that they transcend regular learning or understanding by their students and masters. They make extensive use of qi through rigorous exercise and meditation. The Golden Tiger is a practitioner of three major styles of Shaolin martial arts, those being Fu Jow Pai, Heihuquan, and Taijiquan ''kung fu. The first, an art form based on speed and power and striking with clawed blows to mimic the tiger as well as pressure point techniques is relative to the second which focuses upon low stances, acrobatic kicks, and powerful punches, both being part of the ''Black Tiger School. ''Unlike ''Fu Jow Pai, the school of Heihuquan is almost entirely external until a student begins to truly understand and become its power. However, the Golden Tiger does indeed follow one martial incarnation of tai chi as Taijiquan. ''Unlike the two other schools, it is all about the manipulation of one's self and others through motion and redirection, using pushing hands techniques and mental exercises to better internalize ''qi. It is this training that enables superior understanding of both Fu Jow Pai ''and ''Heihuquan alike, the sources of his superhuman ability. Qi The energy of body and mind in one force, qi ''is divided into ''Li or bodily "external" energy and Neijing ''or mental "internal" energy. It is this power that allows the Golden Tiger to perform superhuman talents and is born of his advanced martial arts, namely ''Heihuquan ''style kung fu. It is understood as both a physical and psychic force that affects all things. As an adept wielder of his own ''qi, he has learned how to transfer energy too and from mind and body, not just for himself but toward others as well. This talent allow the Golden Tiger to turn his physical injury into mental fatigue or expel harmful qi from the mind and turn it into energy his body may endure in its place. This transformation of qi, part of Neigong ''exercises, is the means he is able to affect others by touch as well. Not limited to physical talents, the harnessing of one's own ''qi allows the body to perform feats beyond human limit through mind alone; run up and along vertical surfaces, leap many time's one's height, sprint across water, act or react without conscious thought, catch slow moving projectiles or objects, balance on objects too narrow, among others. Specific Abilities The Golden Tiger's specific, unique powers gained through his advanced martial arts training and qi manipulation are listed below. Black Tiger's Claws The remarkable talent of focused qi allows a manipulator of it to strike with force beyond just their body, granting strength to bend steel, pulverize concrete, or even penetrate extraordinary defenses such as superhuman ones. At times called "Killing Hands", the Golden Tiger and similar martial artists can attack not only the bodily qi of a foe, but their internal, psychic qi as well at the same time, allowing them to penetrate or circumvent conventional defenses. However, this manipulation applies only to their own body - they cannot impart it on external forces such as a firearm's projectiles or a thrown weapon. Body Outside Body While able to manipulate his own qi as described above, the Golden Tiger's potentially most famous outward talent is his understanding of psychic energy and imparting its effects is through the manipulation of objects in motion that he has imprinted upon physically. Like being able to walk across power lines or run vertically up surfaces, the Golden Tiger can act even further as a mind free of body, and influence the trajectory and flight path of objects he has put into motion. Hands of Black and White Is the power to convert one's own qi or that of others into harmful energy. Manipulation of Li type energy produces ill effects that range from strong physical pain to nausea to weakness, while damaging Neijing type energy delay thoughts, clouds minds, interrupts concentration, or can cause blackouts. All forms of this qi ''manipulation require contact by the Golden Tiger, but powerful transformations of the energy can do extraordinary things such as heal wounds, while turning them into mental strain, or inflict such conditions on others; as much a weapon to destroy as a tool to mend. Notably the Golden Tiger's signature power, his ''Hands of Black and White are as subtle as a touch or handshake or as overt as a thrust of a palm or blow to a pressure point. Yet, great power as this form of qi manipulation is not without its weaknesses; those with great mastery of their body are significantly more resilient to its effects. Stillness of Self As a manipulator of his own qi, the Golden Tiger is able to engage in superhuman combat with agility and reflexes, physical and mental, that are not regularly attainable to one with an otherwise human self. His strength lies not in his ability to endure blows, but that he can slip past and around them. This comes with the obvious consequence that the more encumbered he is physically or the more distracted mentally that his defenses as a whole weaken. Vibrating Palm A lesser relative to the legendary "Touch of Death", ''or ''dim mak, ''a vibrating palm attack is an exceptionally dangerous power point strike that damages the internal ''qi ''of a target through harmonics. It inflicts temporary to theoretically indefinite paralysis and can be fatal depending upon how severe or how long its impact lasts. Because it is considered a secret form of knowledge, one known to very few, the Golden Tiger is not familiar to the means to outright slay an opponent with it, instead knowing only how to render them bodily helpless. History There is little known of Douglas Song's private life, but it is clear from a young age he gained some form of introduction into the criminal underworld, that which would briefly and infamously culminate in the label of the ''"Crimson Hand" ''for a time in adulthood. No less, his understanding of the martial arts and later the advanced martial arts stems from a direct and prolonged practice in them, though mastery is certainly not achieved yet. While an American national, Song is believed to have been in part raised and tutored in China and it is also theorized that most if not all of his his six year absence before returning to the United States was spent in China as well. What spurred this sudden disappearance is unclear, but it appears to have been a matter of self-realization and understanding, one that persuaded him from the darker path; perhaps related to being seen as little more than a bloody-handed thug running with small time crime outfits. What can be confirmed of the matter is, is that Song's prowess as a martial artist and adoption of the "White Tiger" costume come solely from this return. Those previously familiar to Song are seemingly unaware of his return, being a low profile and mostly obscure villain and just as small time as a hero, albeit one surviving off of the criminals he takes down. ''Crimson Hand The name was attributed to the prior-Golden Tiger following a clash between two rival organizations in a parking garage. Though Douglas Song's effective signature of beating opposition bloody and senseless was known, the exchange, even against firearms, was punctuated by the amount of casualties caused by blunt force trauma, hemorrhaging, and fractures. A small time news outlet dubbed it the work of the "Crimson Hand", if only because the organization who had the luxury of walking away seemed to never have fired a shot. This later was, potentially, misattributed to a related series of criminal acts by Song, making him synonymous with the infamous ''"Crimson Hand". ''Such an outcome appears to be true, as the violence ended when he disappeared for approximately six years.